Fatima, in purple, was attacked after coming to the aid of a fellow passenger.

Crime

‘I hate Islam’: Violent racist's train tirade not Australian

by Rohan Smith

14th Jan 2019 8:38 AM

A young Melbourne woman suffered cuts and bruises after coming to the aid of a passenger she says was being racially targeted on a train.

Fahima Adan, 20, was travelling towards Westall train station in Melbourne's southeast shortly after midday on Saturday when she says a Muslim woman and her child were confronted.

Video footage of the incident shows another woman yelling, "I hate Islam." When Ms Adan intervened, her hijab was ripped from her head.

A 39-year-old woman was arrested and charged with assault on Saturday but has been released on bail.

Ms Adan took to Facebook to share her experience. She says she is "disgusted" by what unfolded, but could not believe nobody else intervened.

A Melbourne woman has spoken of a shock attack on a train in the city's south-east. The 20-year-old was left with bruises when she tried to intervene, when a mother and child were being allegedly abused. #9Newspic.twitter.com/H2CJkmAzWh

"I was attacked along with another lady and her child," she wrote. "I … protected this innocent woman and her child against this racist crazy lady.

"This woman ran for her safety away from the lady to the other side of the train leaving her belongings where she was harassed. It really opened my eyes how no one even tried to stop the lady once she jumped towards me trying to take my hijab off.

"All everyone did was record … I'm so hurt and disgusted to be disrespected like that, I'm an Australian citizen, I work and take public transportation like everybody else.

"When I got outside the lady continued to harass me and actually took my scarf off me, threw it into the bushes."

Ms Adan wrote that police were called but "never showed up".

A 39-year-old woman has been charged over an incident on a Melbourne train on Saturday.

"I feel belittled and disgusted in a country I call 'home'. I was disrespected in so many ways; this was so wrong and justice never came, it was thrown to the side like it was nothing.

I was harassed the night before and a few weeks ago as well and this was the worst one yet.

"I fear for my safety at this point. I no longer feel safe outside and don't know what's next."

Ms Adan said she suffered scratches to multiple areas of her body. In an interview with Nine News, she said she was tired of seeing different religions targeted.

"This needs to stop," she said. "We're all citizens in this country. We all need to respect each other and just have some humanity."